DMV Suspended License Reinstatement – How to do it

In California, if you have a suspended license, you have to wait for the suspension duration to end to apply for a reinstatement. A license that has been suspended will not automatically renew when the suspension period ends.

Applying for reinstatement includes paying fees, proving proof of adequate auto insurance (SR22 insurance), and applying in person at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Continue reading for answers to ten frequently-asked-questions on how to reinstate your license.

1. Can I get a restricted license in California?

Thirty days into a suspension, you can apply for a restricted license. A restricted license lets you drive:

• to and from work,
• during the course of work, and
• to and from DUI school.

Applying for a restricted license requires you to

• visit a local DMV office to apply in person,
• pay applicable re-issue fees, and
• obtain SR22 insurance (proof of financial responsibility)

If you had your license suspended for driving under the influence (DUI), you may be able to get a restricted license right away if you

• install an ignition interlock device (IID) at a licensed auto service center,
• enroll in a DUI First Offender Program, and
• file a Proof of Enrollment Certificate (Form DL-107).

California DMV-approved IID providers can be found here.

2. How long is my license suspended for?

The suspension period depends on the reason why the license was suspended. For example, some common suspension periods are:

Reason for suspension	Length of suspension
First DUI offense	6 months
Second DUI offense	1 year
Third DUI offense	2 years
Felony DUI	Up to 5 years
Medical conditions make you unsafe	Until you can prove you are no longer a risk on the road
Too many driving record points (4 points in 12 months)	6 months plus 1 year of probation (the suspension takes effect 34 days after the DMV mails you the Order of Probation/Suspension)
Failure to pay child support	Until you have paid the arrears or have entered into a payment plan
Vehicular manslaughter	3 years
Failure to pay taxes	Until the taxes are paid, an installment plan is arranged, or a current financial hardship is established1

See our related article, How to check if your driver’s license is suspended in California.

3. What are the conditions for getting my license reinstated?

To be eligible for a license reinstatement once your suspension period is over, you must have completed any requirements for reinstatement. These stipulations depend on the offense and will be detailed in your license suspension notice.

Ten common reinstatement requirements include:

1. complete a drug or alcohol education course,
2. go to alcohol or drug rehab,
3. finish DUI school,
4. take a defensive driving class or driver’s ed course,
5. completing traffic school (which you can do only once every 18 months),
6. pay a fine,
7. get an ignition interlock device,
8. file a Driver Medical Evaluation(DME) that shows you can drive safely,
9. perform community service, and
10. serve any required jail time.

4. What is the process for applying for a license reinstatement?

Once your driver’s license suspension has expired and you completed all the stipulations for reinstatement, you can apply for a reinstatement. This application has to include:

1. proof that the reinstatement stipulations have been completed,
2. proof of insurance and financial responsibility, often by filing a Form SR-22 from your insurance company, and
3. paying the applicable license reissue fee:
   • $125 for admin per se reissue fee if you are 21 or older;
   • $100 for admit per se reissue fee if you are under 21 (zero tolerance)
   • $55 for DUI reissue fee
   • $15 for DUI 2nd offender add court restriction fee
   • $20 for DUI 2nd offender remove court restriction fee²

The reinstatement process also includes paying any additional fees applicable to your case, which usually includes a $14 reinstatement fee.³ If these are paid online, there may be a processing fee for credit card or debit card transactions.

You then have to file the reinstatement application with the DMV. Some of the fees that have to be paid can be paid before, whether by using the DMV webpage, or by sending a check or money order. Some can be paid when the application is submitted.

5. What are some common reasons to suspend my driving privileges?

California driver’s licenses can be suspended for a variety of reasons. Nine of the most common include:

1. driving under the influence
2. another criminal traffic violation, like hit-and-run, vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving, evading police, or driving without insurance
3. refusing to take an evidentiary breath or blood test following a DUI
4. an accumulation of points on your driver’s record from minor traffic infractions, like disobeying traffic signals
5. repeating the same traffic offense (“habitual offense”)
6. failure to pay child support
7. medical conditions that make it unsafe to drive, like dementia or a lapse of consciousness
8. failure to report an accident
9. underage drinking

The reason for the suspension will determine how long the suspension will last. It will also determine what you have to do to get your license reinstated.

For example, reinstating a license that was suspended for DUI generally requires DUI school. Reinstating a license suspended for medical reasons requires proof that the medical condition can be managed or has been resolved.

6. What if it was a revocation?

In California, a driver’s license revocation – sometimes called a cancellation – means that your driving privileges have been terminated.⁴ They have not been suspended.

If you had your license revoked, you cannot reinstate or restore the license. Instead, you have to apply for a new license.

Your driver’s license can be revoked for several reasons, including if you:

• committed a crime, like vehicular manslaughter or a second or subsequent DUI,
• have a physical or mental disorder,
• committed road rage (Vehicle Code 13210 VC), or
• committed fraud while applying for your driver’s license.

Like a license suspension, a revocation lasts for a specific period of time. The duration of the revocation will be included in the notice of revocation and depends on the reason for the revocation. In severe cases, the revocation can be indeterminate.

6.1. What to do if your license is revoked

Once the revocation period has passed, you can apply for a new license. This involves passing a:

• written driving test,
• vision test, and
• road driving test with an instructor from the DMV.

You may be required to take additional steps to get a new license, like:

• provide proof of liability insurance, like a Form SR-22,
• complete required drug or alcohol courses or rehabilitation, and
• pay any court, administrative, or reissue fees.

7. What happens if I do not apply to reinstate my license?

If you have a suspended license in California and do not reinstate it, you cannot legally drive. If you do drive, you can get pulled over and charged with the crime of driving on a suspended license. This is true even if the suspension period has expired.

To prove that you were driving on a suspended license, the prosecutor has to show that:

1. you drove a motor vehicle while your driving privilege was suspended or revoked, and
2. when you drove, you knew that your driving privileges were suspended or revoked.⁵

The duration of a license suspension is the minimum amount of time that has to pass before you can apply for a reinstatement. If you never apply for a reinstatement, then the suspension continues until the license is restored.⁶

7.1. Criminal penalties

Driving on a suspended license is a misdemeanor in California. The penalties for a conviction are:

• jail time,
• up to 3 years of informal probation, and
• up to $1,000 in fines.

The potential jail time for an offense will depend on why the license was suspended in the first place:

• reckless, negligent, or incompetent driving (Vehicle Code 14601 VC): between 5 days and 6 months,
• DUI (Vehicle Code 14601.2 VC): between 10 days and 6 months,
• DUI for refusing a chemical test (Vehicle Code 14601.5 VC): up to 6 months, and
• habitual traffic offenders (Vehicle Code 14601.3 VC): up to 30 days.

If the license was suspended for any other reason, the jail time can be up to six months.⁷

Note that if you do not wish to drive but still need government identification, you can apply for a non-driver ID card with the DMV.

8. What is a REAL ID?

A REAL ID is a California driver’s license that is also a federally accepted identification card. It can be used to board airplanes for flights within the United States.

If you are looking to reinstate your license after a driver’s license suspension, you can also pursue a REAL ID. To get one, though, you have to visit a California DMV in person. The DMV’s online services cannot be used to get a REAL ID card.⁸

You will have to provide your:

• Social Security number (SSN),
• proof of identity, like with a valid passport or birth certificate, and
• proof of mailing address and PO Box, if used.

You no longer have to provide your Social Security Card or a W-2 form.⁹

Once you satisfy all the conditions for reinstatement, the process should be essentially immediate.

After your suspension period ends, you need to go to a California DMV field office in order to get your driver’s license reinstated. The DMV should be able to reinstate your license the same day.

See our article on how long does it take to reinstate a license?

10. Can I contest my driver’s license suspension?

Yes. When you receive by mail an Order of Probation/Suspension from the California DMV notifying you that it intends to suspend or revoke your driver’s license, you have 10 days to request an administrative hearing at the DMV to contest the decision.

An administrative hearing is like a trial, and you can submit evidence to show why you should retain your driving privilege.

Example: The DMV notifies Jack that his license is being suspended for too many traffic violation points. So Jack requests a hearing, where he shows that he completed a traffic safety course that should have caused three points to fall off his license. When the hearing officer sees that DMV made an error by not erasing the three points, he “sets aside” (dismisses) the suspension.

Note that if you lose the DMV hearing, you can always appeal it to the local Superior Court.

Additional resources

If your license was suspended due to a DUI, refer to the following California DMV articles:

• Driving Under the Influence: Age 21 and Older – Overview of how getting arrested for DUI affects your driving privileges.
• Driving Under the Influence (DUI) – Frequently-asked-questions and answers about the DMV consequences of a DUI case.
• Ignition Interlock Device List – Approved Manufacturers & BAIIDS (Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices) in California.
• Driver Safety Offices – For drivers seeking administrative hearings or drivers scheduled for departmental re-examinations.
• Licensing Fees – Costs for reinstating your license following a DUI.

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